Exhaust fumes from a moving car
The district court in Braunschweig ruled that the legislature, with the introduction of the Climate Protection Act, was fulfilling its duty to protect the citizens.
(Photo: imago images/photothek)
Greenpeace has had no success with a climate lawsuit against Volkswagen. On Tuesday, the regional court in Braunschweig rejected the environmental organization’s request that the carmaker be banned from selling vehicles with combustion engines from 2030.
The Civil Chamber justified its decision primarily with the fact that the legislature, with the introduction of the Climate Protection Act, is fulfilling its duty to protect citizens. The responsibility of a company does not go further than the state’s duty to protect arising directly from the Basic Law. The plaintiffs would have to tolerate any damage to the environment. (Az: 6 O 3931/21)
The Greenpeace-backed plaintiffs, including environmental activist Clara Mayer, allege that the carmaker is violating their fundamental rights through its impact on climate change. With today’s decision, the last word has not yet been spoken, explained Roland Hipp, one of the plaintiffs. “We are planning further legal steps and are confident that we can use legal means to persuade Volkswagen to do more climate protection.”
In addition to the ban on vehicles with internal combustion engines, the plaintiffs want to oblige the group to reduce CO2 emissions by 65 percent by the end of the decade compared to 2018. Volkswagen welcomed the court’s dismissal and reiterated its argument that climate lawsuits against individual companies have no legal basis. “A lawsuit hits the wrong person with Volkswagen,” the company said.
At the same time, the car manufacturer affirmed that it stood by its responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions “as quickly as possible”. The Wolfsburg-based company also referred to the electric offensive they initiated, in which the group will invest a total of 52 billion euros by 2026.
A similar case, in which an organic farmer supported by Greenpeace is suing VW, has been going on for some time before the Detmold district court. There it should continue on February 24th.
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